Pegatron, an Apple supplier, has suspended operations at the iPhone plant for the second day after a fire

According to three sources, Apple supplier Pegatron has advised its manufacturing workers not to report for work on Tuesday, suspending iPhone model assembly for a second straight day at its south India facility where a fire broke out on Sunday.

According to people with intimate knowledge of the situation, the workers were not provided an explanation for the command.

According to two sources, the Taiwanese business called off all shifts on Monday at the facility near Chennai in Tamil Nadu state following the fire.

Pegatron earlier stated to Reuters in a statement on Monday that "there was a spark incident" at the factory that is now under control. The event "does not have a significant financial or operational impact" on the organization, it added.

While the plant has a production capability of around 26,000 iPhone models per day, an industry source claims that it has been assembling between 8,000-12,000 iPhone models per day in recent months.

Pegatron declined to comment on the estimated output.

Apple did not reply to a request for comment.

According to a local official with the emergency response agency, it took over five hours for many fire engines from various stations to arrive and put out the fire.

"There are no injuries, casualties, or property damage." "(The) relevant authority is currently investigating the cause of (the) accident," Pegatron stated.

A police spokesperson told Reuters that an investigation was ongoing in collaboration with the fire department, classifying the event as minor.

Local media claimed late Monday that the fire caused black smoke to engulf the surrounding region, with images showing security officers attempting to remove a throng that had collected outside the facility's entrance.

According to research company Counterpoint, Pegatron accounts for 10% of Apple's iPhone production in India. According to predictions, Apple will sell more than nine million iPhone devices in India this year.

Apple has placed a large bet on India since beginning iPhone manufacture there in 2017 through Wistron and then Foxconn, as the Indian government pushed for local manufacturing.

Pegatron, which began iPhone assembly in India in September of last year, is also in discussions with Apple to construct a second Indian contract plant near the existing one in Tamil Nadu.

The event is the latest issue to afflict one of Apple's 14 suppliers in India.

Food sickness among workers disrupted production at a Foxconn site in 2021, while worker unrest over nonpayment of salaries disrupted production at a Wistron plant in India in 2020. A fire at Foxlink's south Indian plant producing iPhone charging cords prompted the company to cease operations in February.

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